WW II hero

Delbert “Shorty” Belton,   a World War ll veteran  was beaten to death outside his favorite hangout : the Eagles Lodge in Spokane Washington. He was 88 years old and beaten to death by two black youths.  Belton was found inside his car, unconscious with severe head injuries, according to the LA times.  Belton died Thursday after the beating.

WW ll hero

He was a PURLPE HEART recipient who lived through Okinawa, but was killed in his own neighborhood!    A spokesperson for the police department relates that it “does appear random”. It appears that he was assaulted in the parking lot and there was no indication that he would have known these people prior to the assault.  Mr. Belton loved to play pool at the Eagle Lodge.  He retired after working at Kaiser Aluminum Company for more than 30 years.  Candlelight vigils have been held and many kind words have been spoken about the man nicknamed Shorty.

‘A wonderful angel’

  He was well at home in Washington among his many friends, who affectionately called him “Shorty” because of his diminutive height. His daughter-in-law, Barbara Belton, told CNN’s Alina Machado that she couldn’t fathom the reason for and viciousness of the attack. “He didn’t drive a big fancy car. He didn’t didn’t dress in expensive clothes. He didn’t have a lot of money,” she said. “What did they think they were going to get from this man?”

WWll hero

Meanwhile, the veteran’s family is trying to make sense of his sudden death.

Barbara Belton — who broke the bad news to the victim’s 65-year-old son, William, who is suffering from cancer and happened to be in the hospital — said that “it didn’t seem real.”

She said: “It’s a terrible way to have to die.”

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